This superb portrait of a gardener dates from the late-nineteenth century. It was displayed in the dining room at Chanteduc, home of Patricia and Walter Wells in Provence. Patricia was immediately taken by the sitter's expressive face, the way he gently touches the terracotta pot with a red geranium, and how he has one sleeve pushed right up, and the other down, as though he has just sat down after a day in the garden. Patricia was told that he was a gardener from Nice when she purchased the painting several years ago adding "I just love him!"
Oil on canvas, unsigned, note repairs (visible from the back of the canvas).
Condition and wear consistent with age and use.
Approx. overall 24½" high x 20" wide x 0¾" deep
Approx. overall 62cm high x 51cm wide x 2cm deep
